Woman charged with killing former landlord, another woman

Authorities say a woman has been charged with killing a former landlord and another woman in a suburban Philadelphia home

Written by The Associated Press

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) — A woman has been charged with killing her former landlord and another woman in a suburban Philadelphia home where the suspect's 6-year-old son was also present, authorities said Monday.

The bodies of Lila Frost, 78, and Lorraine Gigliello, 68, were found Sunday night in Frost's home in West Norriton Township. Township police found Naseema Sami and her son under a bed, the former with what they believed to be dried blood on her hands, authorities said.

Sami, 43, of Folsom, faces two counts of first-degree murder and related charges, Montgomery County prosecutors said Monday.

It's unclear whether Sami has an attorney; one listed number for her rang unanswered Monday and then disconnected, while another number wasn't in service.

Prosecutors allege that Sami drove to the home Thursday with her son seeking help from Frost, who had been her landlord 20 years earlier. Prosecutors said she told detectives that she "desired a safe place to go" and the older woman had offered to help if she was ever in need.

She entered through an unlocked door and found no one inside, then later answered a knock and let in Gigliello, who had come to visit Frost, prosecutors said. But they allege Gigliello then began asking questions about what she was doing there, and Sami then killed the victim "when she reached for a phone to call police."

Frost arrived home during the attack and was also killed, prosecutors said, alleging that Sami told detectives the two ended up in the bathroom, and she kicked Frost into the bathtub "and began kicking her in the head and neck until she died."

An autopsy Monday determined that Frost died of multiple injuries and Gigliello died of head trauma. Prosecutors also allege that Sami took steps afterward to try to clean the home to remove evidence of the attack.

District Attorney Kevin Steele said what he called "a quiet community along the Schuylkill River" was "rocked" by the slayings.

"Our hearts go out to the families of these two victims and pledge to them that we will seek justice for their murders," he said.